Forty fewer police officers will be patrolling the streets of the borough than there were three years ago as a result of Government cuts, it has been revealed.

Hyndburn's MP Graham Jones has warned that crime figures could rise as it was claimed that the number of police staff in Hyndburn could fall even further.

Funding cuts of £43 million have seen the numbers of police officers in the borough fall since 2009 with Lancashire Constabulary chiefs still facing having to find another £4 million in savings.

The overwhelming majority of the officers who have left the force have done so due to natural wastage.

An estimated further 18 police support staff will also have left by 2015.

Mr Jones said that neighbourhood policing could be on the verge of collapsing.

He added: "We're going back to the police service where it's just a very thin blue line with emergencies only.

"We are going to lose 40 police officers and 17 or 18 back office support staff which the police have to cover for – so that is nearly 60 staff in Hyndburn alone.

"We are moving back to a 1970s police service – a basic service with crime rising."

A new police commissioner will due to consider a number of policing funding issues, including an option to abolish PCSOs in the county, following elections to the post later this year. There are currently 23 PCSOs serving Hyndburn.

Lancashire Police said they expected to have lost 537 police officers and 250 police staff posts across the county by 2015 as a result of the cuts.